


Shock To The Heart

by staymagical



Series: April Showers Challenge 2020 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: April Fools' Day, M/M, Marriage Proposal, No characters were harmed in the making of this fic, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Teasing, They are just dumb and in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:13:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23465224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staymagical/pseuds/staymagical
Summary: April Fool's Day has always been Lance's day to excel with good humor tricks and deception. This year, Keith plans to out prank him in the best way possible.“Lance, hold up a second,” Keith says, reaching out and giving Lance’s hand a brief tug before slowing down his jog and coming to a stop on the path. It was routine, a nice run through the park in the morning to get their blood flowing for the day and a normal enough activity he knew wouldn’t spark suspicion.It was perfect.He keeps a featherlight hold of Lance’s hand, waiting until he has Lance’s attention before smiling softly and going down on one knee.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: April Showers Challenge 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688041
Comments: 3
Kudos: 97





	Shock To The Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Creating April Showers Challenge Day 1 and 2: Prank and Home
> 
> Oh wow hey, I'm back. Sorry for the radio silence there for a bit but now that everything has come to a screeching halt in daily life, I might as well get some writing done. And what better way than a daily month-long prompt challenge of my own. So without further ado, here goes nothing.
> 
> Enjoy!

Pranks are Keith’s life now. That’s what he signed up for when he agreed to start dating Lance. Hell, he had thought Lance asking him out was a prank in and of itself.

It wasn’t, thankfully, but Keith still feels some regret about nearly breaking Lance’s nose.

Only some. Lance does his fair share of milking it and getting back at him, that’s for sure.

But today, god, today has been nothing short of heart pounding.

And not the jump out, fireworks in your face, mask-wearing type of pranks. No, Lance knows better than to try and pull those on Keith anymore. One too many trips to the hospital and nights spent coaxing Keith back from flashbacks are enough for Lance to learn his lesson.

No, Lance has become clever with his tricks and April Fool’s day is his playground. A free for all for the king of pranks—his words, not Keith’s.

But this year, Keith plans to dethrone him. Usually, with these sorts of games, Keith tends to take a more defensive position, to deflect and defuse the jokes and tricks before they can even be pulled off, taking each successful evasion as a victory in their never-ending game of rivalry—again Lance’s word, not his. And it drives Lance crazy, eggs him on to more elaborate plans every year. 

This year, though, Keith is going hard on the offensive with a prank of his own. And boy is it a nerve-wracking show-stopper.

“Lance, hold up a second,” Keith says, reaching out and giving Lance’s hand a brief tug before slowing down his jog and coming to a stop on the path. It was routine, a nice run through the park in the morning to get their blood flowing for the day and a normal enough activity he knew wouldn’t spark suspicion. 

It was perfect.

He keeps a featherlight hold of Lance’s hand, waiting until he has Lance’s attention before smiling softly and going down on one knee.

The response is instantaneous.

Lance’s eyes go wide, his grip sharpening in Keith’s hand briefly as a small squeak escapes his lips. 

And that’s when Keith releases his hand and reaches down to tie his shoe. 

It takes all his willpower not to glance up at Lance to see his reaction. But he can’t give the game away, can’t show that he knows exactly what he is doing or it’ll all be for nothing. And a part of him feels guilty for toying with Lance’s emotions like this, truly. But the other part very vividly remembers tanning lotion in his body wash last year and the guilt vanishes in an instant.

He’s dealt with three years of prank and tricks while they’ve been dating, not to mention the countless ones before that. Lance can handle one day.

When he stands back up, he can see the ghost of disappointment on Lance’s face and a sharp annoyance flashing through his eyes before being whisked away and replaced by his usual cheeky grin.

Keith knows, whether Lance believes it was accidental or not, he will pay for his actions. 

And he’s okay with that. The reward will outweigh any inconvenience Lance may have in store for him.

“You good, babe?” Lance asks over his shoulder as he turns to continue their run. The twinkle in his eyes is more pronounced than usual but Keith can’t help the knowing smile he flashes in return. 

“Peachy.”

He gets a face full of freezing water later to make up for it and a gloating Lance to top it off.

It’s worth it.

He lets Lance attempt two more pranks on him, barely dodging one and getting grazed by the other with his mind so focused on his own plan. It helps ease Lance off his guard and he settles gracefully back into his normal self-confidence.

That’s when Keith quietly enacts stage two.

“Do you want to go on a picnic?”

It’s risky, an out-the-blue suggestion on the one day made for trickery and deception. But Keith has a history of inaction backing him up, a few months build-up of spontaneous suggestions and events, and Lance’s inability to suspect they’re on any sort of level playing field when it comes to this sort of thing.

He just has to hope it’s enough.

Lance narrows his eyes. “Why?”

Keith shrugs, easing his face into casual indifference despite his racing heart. “It’s a nice day and we’ve both had a long week. Plus, I found that cheese you love at the farmer’s market and thought we could make a day of it?”

Something in his tone must seem innocent enough to Lance or Keith greatly underestimates his love for a good charcuterie board because after a beat Lance agrees with a nod and a trill in his voice. 

It works perfectly. The hillside location partnered with a bottle of wine Keith manages to smuggle into the basket and topped off with a walk down memory lane and reflection on their relationship as the waning sun smears the sky in beautiful hues of red and orange. It all paints the ruse. He can see Lance getting flustered, taking note of every little detail Keith brings up or surprise he presents, and the anticipation pulls at his lips as he waits for a finale to their outing. 

A finale that Keith denies him. Again.

He lets the sun set, until the soft purple dusting the clouds above is the only evidence left. Then he sighs, giving Lance’s hand a fond squeeze and starts packing up the remnants of their picnic.

Lance remains as he is, leaning back on his hands, eyes following Keith’s every move. And as the seconds pass, Keith can almost feel the air thicken as the bubble building inside Lance, the question, the words he wants to speak claws it's way up his throat.

Until he can’t take it anymore.

“Keith?” Lance’s tone is laced with a sharp twinge as he speaks, an annoyance he’s trying hard to bury beneath a facade of curiosity.

“Hm?” Keith hums as he places the board back into the basket.

“What are you doing?”

The question catches Keith off guard for a moment but he quickly schools his features before meeting Lance’s gaze with a raised brow. “What do you mean?”

“I mean what are you doing with all—” Lance gestures to the picnic, the bottle of wine, the last of the sunset that was oh so reminiscent of ones they’ve shared before—“this? It feels like—” he cuts himself off abruptly, glancing away toward the purple sky with longing.

“Like what?” Keith prods. A cool breeze teases the edge of their blanket, coaxing goosebumps along Keith’s arm and taking the last vestiges of the sun’s warmth with it.

Lance huffs out a breath, somewhere between a sigh and a groan and Keith has to bite his lip. “Nevermind,” he says, shoulders hunching slightly under the weight of what could have been. Keith frowns at the sharp turn of his mood. Lance gets to his feet and gathers up the basket. “It’ll get dark soon, we should probably head back.”

Keith’s resolve nearly cracks then and there. Annoyance he had expected. Irritation, exasperation and even full-on anger as well. But the forlorn look on Lance’s face, the downturn pinch to his brow, is not what he foresaw and it’s all suddenly too much and too real and Keith knows Lance is genuinely disappointed. In fact, he might even say Lance looks—

Dejected.

It’s a rare look for Lance and Keith’s heart aches knowing he put it there.

Temporarily, he tells himself. It’s only temporary. Patience yields focus.

But god, it's hard to focus when Lance looks like that.

By the time they make it back home, Lance’s mood has lighted marginally, though the dejected edge is rooted in his eyes and he by passes an amazing opportunity to pull his annual tickle attack trick on Keith.

That is worrying by itself, so Keith offers to cook dinner, his unspoken way to secretly apologize for what he’s unwittingly put Lance through. And ever since he’s been taking lessons with Hunk, Keith can make a mean apology chicken piccata, topped with green onion and filled with love and affection in every bite.

Lance lures Keith into doing a face mask with him with the promise that he gets to pick the movie they watch and knowing there’s a prank hidden in the generous offer, Keith still agrees. He allows Lance to smear the foot cream disguised as a purifying mask onto his skin without comment and fakes disgust and good-natured annoyance as he scrubs it off when Lance reveals it’s true nature. He’ll let Lance have this one, it’s the least he can do.

Finally, the credits roll and Keith’s heart races as Lance steals into the bathroom for a shower and to wash away the mask.

The second the door clicks behind him, Keith moves.

He drags the boxes down from the attic, quickly pulling the items out handfuls at a time and setting them up around the room. The candles at the edges lit and arranged just right, the delicate sheer fabric draped up and around their bed to cascade down the edges of their room with tiny twinkling lights strung amongst its folds and drapes. Then the roses, petals picked and laid like a river from the bathroom to the bed where they pool in the perfect cliche of every romantic movie. 

Just the way he knows Lance dreams of. 

With a glance at the clock—11:55—he adds the final touch, donning his suit and the handpicked boutonniere, the velvet box he managed to keep hidden for months held delicately in his sweaty palms as he goes to one knee and waits for Lance to emerge.

His pulse is racing, every sound, every forced steady breath threatening to send him into a nervous spiral.

Thankfully, he doesn’t have to wait long.

The second he emerges, Lance freezes in the doorway, one hand still on the handle, his eyes wide and dancing in the reflection of the fairy lights above as he takes in the room The candles, the rose petals and finally  _ finally _ , his eyes fall on Keith. 

And the open velvet box in his hand with an intricate gold band nestled inside.

“Keith.”

Keith smiles up at him. “Lance, my love, my heart, you’re it for me. There’s no one else in the entire galaxy and beyond I’d want to walk through this life with, to hold, to love, to challenge, to cherish. We make a good team, you and I. You’re my everything.” Tears prickle at the corner of his eyes but he blinks, willingly them away until he can get it all out, until his soul is completely raw and on display. Until he asks the question he’s been yearning to ask for months now. 

“Will you marry me?”

There’s a beat of silence following his heart’s most important question, one that seems to last a lifetime if the range of emotion flickering across Lance’s face is anything to go by. Surprise, joy, confusion, skepticism, anger, and finally realization before he blurts out an irritated, “Damn it, Keith!”

Keith is a little startled by the outburst but he had mentally prepared for such a reaction.

He opens his mouth with words of reassurance and love on the tip of his tongue but Lance doesn’t give him the chance. “You have been pulling this shit all day, haven’t you?” he asks with anger sharpening his tone. But despite it all, there’s hope swimming in his eyes, a trust that’s unwavering even after everything. “If this is another prank, I swear to all that is—”

“April Fool’s day is over, love,” Keith says softly as he gets to his feet, glancing over at the clock that now reads 12:05 and then back at Lance, his smile now wet and shining with hope. He takes Lance’s hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. “This is real, I swear.”

Lance squeezes his hand in return, eyes brimming with tears. “Fuck you, Keith,” he says with a shuddering exhale.

“Is that a yes?” Keith’s heart pounds beneath his breast, threatening to break free if he doesn’t get a definitive answer.

Lance huffs out a wet laugh, breathy and overflowing with happiness as he wraps his arms around Keith’s neck. “Yes, you absolute fool, of course yes.”

The kiss is sloppy and half-formed, each of them too busy smiling with tears running down their cheeks to get it right but Keith doesn’t care. Lance said yes and even though there was little doubt, his heart still soars with a wave of relief and overwhelming joy and love.

“God you’re a menace, you know that?” Lance whispers against his lips, the corners of his mouth still pulled up into a smile as he rests his forehead against Keith’s. “A beautiful, amazing, terrible menace who I absolutely adore.”

Keith feels lightheaded with happiness. “Does that mean I win this year?”

Lance chuckles. “I’ll give it to you,” he says, pulling Keith in for a soft, gentle kiss. “Just this once.”

**Author's Note:**

> Check out my Instagram for more Klance and VLD drabbles and short fics: [staymagwrites](https://www.instagram.com/staymagwrites/)


End file.
